First Battle of Funai

The First Battle of Funai, also known as the Siege of Funai, occurred in the summer of 1864. The 12,400-strong Satsuma Domain army of Saigo Takamori seized control of the castle of Funai in an assault against the 7,500-strong Oka Domain garrison of Kitabatake Tomoie, using naval support to assist him.

Background
With the fall of the Nobeoka Domain after the Battle of Saito, the two major opposing factions on Kyushu clashed with each other next. The Satsuma Domain (loyal to the Emperor), which had just conquered Hyuga Province and proved its strength, faced the Oka Domain, a sizeable empire that sided with the Shogunate. The Oka focused their strength in Honshu against the Choshu Domain and other clans, allowing Satsuma general Saigo Takamori and 12,400 troops to assault Bungo Province and lay siege to the city of Funai, held by Kitabatake Tomoie and 7,500 Oka troops.

Battle
The Satsuma army was much larger than the Oka, but they faced a castle that had two layers of walls and a sizeable garrison. Fortunately, the Satsuma had more firepower, as Tsuchiya Tsunemi's Satsuma fleet of 3 warships waited in the harbor to strike. The Satsuma fleet damaged some of the walls, and the Satsuma divided their forces into three sections in order to scale the walls. The left force was able to get through the first layer without much resistance, but they were nearly routed by friendly fire from the warships and the garrison when they attacked the second layer. Meanwhile, the center and right flanks of the Satsuma army made good progress, as General Saigo rallied them against their threats. The Satsuma succeeded in taking the castle, although they suffered 6,540 losses. 6,120 Oka troops were lost, and Bungo Province fell to the Satsuma Domain.

Aftermath
The fall of Bungo led to all-out war on Kyushu, as the Oka and their Iwakuni Domain and Fukyuama Domain allies fought the Satsuma on Kyushu. Emperor Komei made Shimazu Hisamitsu a Junior Councillor in the Imperial Court after his clan had noted fame, and Saigo Takamori was made the Inspector-General of the Imperial Japanese Army.